Jesmond residents won’t have been surprised by news of an almost 40% increase in rat sightings in the last 12 months, with many home-owners and student tenants noticing an increase in the number of rats in their back gardens or taking advantage of the rubbish in back alleys.

At a Newcastle City Council meeting last month, councillors heard that there had been more than 2,000 reports of rats in the last year. One theory to explain the rise is that while many city centre shops and restaurants were closed during the lockdowns of the last two years, the rats moved towards the suburbs in search of food and have remained there since.

Anna Hayward, a student living in West Jesmond, said she has noticed that the bins are often overflowing or overturned and Hayward and her housemates have resorted to placing rat traps near the entrance to their home. Residents seeking help with rat infestations are charged £84 for a 12-month period. A move to have the fee suspended was rejected at the November council meeting.

“It’s frustrating because our house doesn’t even have a wheelie bin,” said Hayward. “Everyone just uses whatever bin they can find. There are six of us in my house and we all end up with a lot of waste to get rid of. Sometimes the bins don’t even get collected.” Hayward said that there are often cars parked down either side of the back alley, which means that bin lorries are unable to gain access.

Waste collection policies on the Newcastle City Council website state that bins may not be collected if they are overflowing or if there are bin bags left on the floor next to the bins. There are, however, collection points where residents can drop off excess waste and students can request a bigger wheelie bin via online forms.

Other students are trying to reduce the amount of waste they produce in the first place. Gemma Armitage says she reuses packaging and other materials where possible, she tries to avoid non-biodegradable plastics and she uses three bins to help her recycle.

“Once it is a part of your daily routine it actually saves effort as bins don’t need to be emptied as often,” said Armitage. “It’s also rewarding as you really feel you are making a difference when you see how other students live.”